In multi-terminal gaming systems, there can be a number of advantages to providing for centralized production or control of the numbers, signals, or other features which are used for determining game outcome at individual terminals. Central production or control can assist a casino or other entity in maintaining proper records, controlling gaming, reducing and preventing cheating or electronic or other errors, reducing or eliminating win-loss volatility and the like. In some jurisdictions, central production or control of outcome-determining signals or information is required, in at least some gaming systems, by regulatory authorities.
There are various manners in which outcomes can be centrally produced or controlled. According to one approach, the actual game outcome, as ultimately displayed to the customer (such as reel stops in the case of slot machines or simulated slot machines, cards dealt or drawn in the case of simulated card games and the like) are sent from a central location to individual gaming terminals. In at least some circumstances, this approach may present certain disadvantageous aspects including, for example, a relatively high bandwidth that may be required for transmitting game outcomes in real time, and lack of provisions for verifying results (e.g. to prevent or detect errors or cheating). In another approach, a central system outputs, at frequent intervals, a random number seed which all of the coupled gaming terminals can use for generating random numbers to be used in determining game outcomes. While this approach has a potential for providing numerous benefits to a gaming system, it would be further advantageous to provide a system in which random number seeds or other game outcome-determining number or signals could be individualized to gaming terminals, i.e. such that different gaming terminals in the system will receive different random number seeds and/or such that different terminals will be using different random number seeds at the same time. In one embodiment, providing individual random number seeds makes it generally feasible to implement a non-banked game, preferably a game in which individual game results are, in effect, substantially randomly selected from a predetermined pool of game outcomes. Furthermore, providing individual (preferably deterministic) random number seeds (e.g. by addressing output seeds to individual gaming terminals) facilitates monitoring of gaming procedures, and detection and prevention of errors and cheating. Accordingly, it would be useful to provide a system of gaming terminals in which game-determining random number seeds or other game determining numbers, signals and the like are centrally produced but are individualized so that each output random number seed (or similar number or signal) is sent to a different one (or group) of the gaming terminals in the system. Preferably addressing is performed such that a record is (at least temporarily) stored indicating which terminal was the addressee for which random number seeds.
In at least some contexts, it would be further advantageous to provide a system in which some of the gaming terminals are configured for playing games different from those of other terminals and/or are configured for playing at least two different games, either as selected by the player or as established by the casino or other game operator. For example, some terminals may be configured as slot machine-type games while others may be configured as poker-type games. Some gaming terminals may be configured to simulate three-reel slot machines while others may be configured to simulate five-reel slot machines. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to accommodate these type of gaming environments while still achieving benefits of a centrally-generated and individualized random number feature.
The present invention includes a recognition of the existence, source and/or nature of problems found in previous approaches, including as described herein. In one aspect, the present invention provides a gaming system which has a plurality of individual gaming terminals coupled, by one or more communication links, to a central computing system. The central computing system may be a single central computer or may have a plurality of computers coupled together. The central computer includes a facility for generating random number seeds. Preferably the seeds are deterministic in the sense that, for any given seed, it is possible to determine what game outcome will result from such a seed (for a particular type of game). Although it is possible to provide a system in which random number seeds are generated in an ongoing manner such as in a substantially continuous fashion and/or in response to received seed requests (received, e.g. from gaming terminals) in at least one embodiment random number seeds are generated in batches or pools, preferably in a fashion such that there are (at least approximately) a predetermined number of winning random number seeds (i.e. seeds which, when used by a gaming terminal to generate a gaming output will result in an outcome associated with a prize) in each pool with the seeds being sent to individual gaming terminals (or, in some embodiments, small groups of terminals) preferably in a randomly selected fashion.
In one embodiment, each random number seed (as it is randomly selected from the group or pool, in response to a request from a gaming terminal) is addressed to the gaming terminal which issued the request and electronically delivered to the requesting gaming terminal.
In one embodiment, gaming results are verified by sending additional information (i.e. in addition to the random number seed) for at least some such transmissions. For example, in one embodiment, information indicative of the particular gaming output which is to be (deterministicly) generated by the random number seed is sent along with the random number seed, at least for some game results. For example, additional information can be sent with random number seeds which are associated with prizes or which are associated with certain prizes, such as randomly selected prizes and/or particularly large prizes. The gaming terminal can then compare the actual game output (generated in response to the random number seed) with the transmitted (expected) gaming output (which the central system indicates should be the result of the random number seed). If the gaming terminal determines that its calculated outcome does not match the centrally-provided and transmitted outcome, then the gaming terminal will declare an error condition, will suspend game play and will output a message or alert to maintenance personnel of the error condition. By sending such additional information for only some outcomes it is possible to provide for validation or verification of game outcomes without requiring the bandwidth needed for always sending all reel stop or other game outcome indications for every game play (which generally has a relatively high bandwidth requirement compared to, for example, sending only a random number seed).
In one aspect, a central computer or computers outputs random numbers or other game output seeds or determiners to each individual gaming terminal. Preferably the central computer sequentially outputs numerous game outcome seeds, outputting one seed upon request from any individual gaming terminal, preferably with each random number seed being specifically addressed to the individual requesting gaming terminal. In one aspect, the game outcome seeds may be selected (or xe2x80x9cdrawnxe2x80x9d) by the central computer from a pre-developed, and preferably pre-randomized, list of seeds. Such selection results in the removal of those seeds from the list or pool, until the list is exhausted.
In one aspect a gaming system is provided in which a plurality of gaming terminals have gaming outcomes that are provided in response to a game outcome seed sent, to the gaming terminals, from a central computer. The game outcome seeds are individualized in the sense that not all gaming terminals in the system use the same seed at the same time. Preferably, seeds are addressed to individual gaming terminals or groups of terminals. Seeds may be transmitted to terminals in response to seed requests output by terminals. In one approach, seeds are generated as needed and/or substantially continuously. In another approach, batches, pools or lists of seeds are generated and a seed request is responded to by drawing a seed from a pre-defined list, until the list is depleted, whereupon a new list or batch is generated. In one approach, one or more lists are generated for each type of game or pay table. Preferably game outcome seeds are associated with tags or other information which can be used for verifying game outcomes and/or avoiding errors or cheating.